This invention relates to a method of, and an apparatus for, transferring, in unison, a plurality of like articles from a first location to a second location. More particularly, this invention relates to a method and apparatus of the foregoing character for transferring a plurality of like, freshly-formed glass containers from opened molds of a glass container forming machine of the I.S. type to a deadplate of the machine for cooling of the containers.
As it is explained, for example, in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,654 (Leidy) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,448 B1 (Nicholas), the disclosure of each of which is incorporated by reference herein, or as is otherwise known, most glass containers are manufactured by a machine type known as an individual section (I.S.) machine. Containers are manufactured by an I.S. machine at one or another of a multitude of machine sections, typically, 6, 8, 10, or even 12 sections, and typically 2 or 3 or 4 containers simultaneously at each section depending on container size and desired production rates. As a final step in the manufacture of containers on an I.S. machine, blown containers are transferred, in unison, from opened blow molds of the machine section in which they were formed to a nearby deadplate of the machine to permit the blown containers to partly cool before the containers are transferred to a removal conveyor for further processing.
Containers are transferred from an I.S. machine section blow mold station to a deadplate by a takeout mechanism that employs a multitude of individual takeout tongs. The takeout tongs for each I.S. machine section are suspended from a head that is suspended from an oscillating arm, one such tong for each container to be transferred from the machine section. After grasping of the containers by the takeout tongs, the arm of the takeout mechanism from which the containers are suspended is turned by approximately 180xc2x0, while the containers remain suspended from the tongs, to position the containers over the I.S. deadplate. The takeout heads then release the containers to remain on the deadplate, and the arm of the mechanism is then reverted by 180xc2x0 to begin a repeat of its operating cycle when the next set of glass containers manufactured at the machine section is ready to be transferred.
Heretofore, oscillating motion of the takeout mechanism head-carrying arm was powered by a fluid prime mover, usually a pneumatic cylinder, that was used to impart reciprocating motion to a toothed rack. The rack engaged a rotatable gear attached to the takeout mechanism so that reciprocating motion of the rack as a result of extension or retraction of the pneumatic cylinder resulted in oscillating motion of the gear and the arm to which it was secured. A parallel linkage connection between the arm and the takeout heads carried by it was employed to maintain the heads suspended from the arm in vertical positions at all arcuate positions of the arm, as is explained, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,757 (Houben et al.). Typically, the pneumatic cylinder for such a takeout mechanism was positioned within the frame of the I.S. machine where access for maintenance and adjustment is difficult.
The use of pneumatic cylinders to power operation of a glass container takeout mechanism involves certain problems, certain of which are inherent in the use of pneumatic cylinders for a wide variety of motions, and certain of which are specific to the transfer of freshly-formed glass containers. To begin with, pneumatic prime movers tend to be noisy and their use in a relatively confined space requires close attention to regulatory noise standards. Further, freshly-formed glass containers are still somewhat hot, and are, therefore, soft and subject to dimensional distortion if transferred other than by gentle, low inertia motions, which are difficult to achieve with a pneumatic-powered mechanism unless the mechanism is operated slowly, with gentle starting and stopping actions. This characteristic limits the obtainable cycle times to times that may unduly limit the productive capacity of an I.S. forming machine.
To overcome the aforesaid and other problems associated with the use of a fluid powered motor to actuate motion of a takeout arm at a section of an I.S. glass container forming machine, there is provided a takeout arm that is powered by a reversible electric motor, preferably a linearly-acting a.c. servo motor that is preferably positioned above the main frame of the I.S. machine for ready access for maintenance and adjustments. Such a motor may be precisely controlled for proper starting and stopping motions to avoid the imposition of excessively large inertia forces on the freshly-formed glass containers that are being transferred, and without unduly lengthening the container transfer cycle time. The reversible motor of the present invention is preferably mounted at the top of a non-extensible or extensible vertical post. In that regard, an extensible vertical post permits the elevation of the container-grasping heads above the forming machine molds and the deadplate to be adjusted to accommodate the processing of containers of various heights. This function may also be achieved with a non-extensible support post by the use of shims of different thicknesses to change the spacing between the tong-supporting heads and the takeout arm from which they are suspended.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of and apparatus for transferring one or more articles from a first location to a second location. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus of the foregoing character for transferring one or more freshly-formed glass containers from forming molds of a glass container forming machine to a deadplate of the machine without imposing excessive inertial forces thereon and without unduly delaying the transfer time.
For a further understanding of the present invention and the objects thereof, attention is directed to the drawing and the following brief description thereof, to the detailed description of the invention and to the appended claims.